Blackboard (AI Design Assistant)

About the tool

SupplierThe company that makes and runs the tool.

Anthology

WebsiteWhere we found the main information about the tool.

https://help.anthology.com/blackboard/administrator/en/tools-management/blackboard-ai-design-assistant.html

CategoryWhat sort of tool it is, for example a chatbot or a lesson-planning helper.

learning platform (VLE)

Pupil-facingWhether pupils use it directly, or only staff. Pupil use needs extra care.

no - instructor-facing

Your data

Processor or controllerA processor only uses data on your school’s instructions. A controller makes its own decisions about the data, which means your school has less say.

not stated

Where data is storedWhich country the data is stored in. UK or EU storage is usually simpler for schools.

Microsoft Azure OpenAI

Trains AI models on inputsWhether what you type (or upload) may be used to improve the supplier’s AI. “No” is what you want for anything about pupils or staff.

no - Anthology does not fine-tune with client data; Microsoft does not retrain on inputs

How long inputs are keptHow long the supplier keeps what you type before deleting it.

prompts and outputs kept up to 30 days by Microsoft for content filtering

Agreements and contacts

Privacy noticeThe supplier’s privacy notice: their own explanation of what they do with personal data.

https://www.blackboard.com/trust-center/trustworthy-ai-approach

Data processing agreement (DPA)The data processing agreement: the contract that sets out how the supplier must look after your school’s data.

not stated

Signs individual DPAs with schoolsWhether the supplier will sign a data agreement with your school specifically, rather than just standard online terms.

not stated

UK GDPR representative / DPOWhether the supplier names a data protection officer or UK representative you can contact about data questions.

not stated

Age and safety

Minimum ageThe youngest age the supplier allows to use the tool. Check this before any pupil uses it.

not stated

Key safety noteAnything else worth knowing, such as admin controls or content filtering.

opt-in by institution

Research statusHow complete our research on this tool is.

sourced

Sources

1. help.anthology.comhttps://help.anthology.com/blackboard/administrator/en/tools-management/blackboard-ai-design-assistant.html
2. blackboard.comhttps://www.blackboard.com/trust-center/trustworthy-ai-approach
3. blackboard.comhttps://www.blackboard.com/trust-center/generative-ai-functionalities

Change history

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Quick answers

Is Blackboard (AI Design Assistant) safe for UK schools?

AI Prefect rates Blackboard (AI Design Assistant) Amber for staff use (Doesn’t say if it is a processor or controller; Data may be stored outside the UK/EU; safeguards not stated; No school DPA found; 3 of 6 key fields not stated) and Red for pupil use (Supplier says it is not for pupils). This is based on the supplier's published documents, last checked 2026-10-23. It is not legal advice; complete your own DPIA.

Does Blackboard (AI Design Assistant) train on our data?

According to the supplier's published documents: no - Anthology does not fine-tune with client data; Microsoft does not retrain on inputs.

Where is Blackboard (AI Design Assistant) data stored?

Microsoft Azure OpenAI.

What age is Blackboard (AI Design Assistant) for?

Not stated. The supplier does not publish a minimum age we could find.

Is there a safer alternative to Blackboard (AI Design Assistant)?

Better-rated tools with the same main use and sector: Aula (amber), D2L Brightspace (Lumi) (amber), Gemini in Google Classroom (amber).

Generated only from the facts above. “Not stated” means the supplier doesn’t publish it.